Artificial bait.



PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908.

C. D. CALDWELL.

ARTIFICIAL BAIT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I I f, m I a v flu W J 0y M n U Gram,

PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908.

C. D. CALDWELL. ARTIFICIAL BAIT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14.1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TILEi WHY ' Svwenfoz (2671765! B, Ca/da/e/L Wit 11 Mom a) arrow/M21UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLEY D. CALDWELL, OF PARIS, TEXAS.

ARTIFICIAL BAIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

i'atented June 1a, 1908.

Application filed- .Tune 14, 1907. Serial No. 379,018.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARnEY D. CALD- WELL, acitizen of the UnitedSt'ates, residm at Paris, in the county of Lamarand State Texas, have invented new and useful Imroveinents in ArtificialBait, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved artificial bait to simulate the motions oflive bait, and

comprises a figure for attachment to a line, having an angularly movableportion and a motor to operate such angplarly movable portion, ashereinafterdescri ed and claimed.

7 In the accompanying drawings,-Fi gure 1' is an elevation o a baitembodying'm mvention. Fig. 2 is a top lan view of t e same with aportion of the ody shownin section.

- Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal central secthis particular.

portion, here shown as the tail 2.\ The body" comprises a pair ofmembers 3 which are sepaf rable from each other and are connectedtogether by a screw or other suitable'device 4 which extendstransversely therethrough.

The, said body portion is formed with a chamher -5 which is made partlyin each of the members 3 and the rear end of which is open. A springmotor 6 is placed in said chamber and is provided with awaterproof-casing 7 which prevents the parts of such motor from ettingwet when the bait is submerged and m use for fishing. Such motor isshown as provided witha winding shaft-8 which is vertically disposed,extends downwardly throu h an opening in the lower portion of the bodyand is provided with a head or button 9 to enable such sprin to beturned. A pinion 10 is secured to t c said shaft at the lower side ofthe motor casing and is engaged by a spring-pressed pawl 11, the springwhich presses such pawl into engagement with such pinion bein shown at12 in Fi 5.. The sprin 13, w 'ch may be wound hy turning t e s aft 8serves to-drive a master car 14 v whichengages a pinion 15.0n the s aft16 that also carries aspeed-reducing gear 17. Such gear engages a pinion18 on a shaft 19 whichalso carries a speed-reducin gear 20 that engagesa pinion 21 on the sha t 22. A crank dlsk 23 is secured on the upper endof the said shaft which extends above the upper side of the motorcasing- A pin 24 is shown attached to the upper side of the motorcasing, extended through'the upper portion of the body of the baitfigure and provided at its upper end with a rin or eye 25 to which aline 26 may be attache which line serves to suspend the bait figure inthe water to sup-v port the same at any suitable depth below the surfaceof the water.

A speed-regulating device is employed for the spring motor, which deviceis here shown as a screw 27 which 0 crates in a threaded opening in theupper si e of the motor casing,

but extends upwardly through a vertical opening in the body of the baitfigure, is prov1ded at its upper end with a button or like device 28,whereby it may be readily turned, I

and is provided at its lower end with a friction shoe 29 which may becylindricalin form or of any other suitable shape and may, by properlyturning such screw 27, be caused to bear frictionally to any desiredextent on the master gear 14 to retard the revolution of such mastergear and hence regulate thev speed of the motor. By turning such screw27 far enough such master gear may be entirely prevented from rotatingand hence prevent the spring from runnin down.

The body portion of the bait hgure is here shown as provided on oppositesides with hooks 30 which depend therefrom near the head thereof.

" The angularly movable tail portion 2 of the bait figure is here shownas comprising a pair of longitudinal members 31 secured together byscrews or the hke devices 32. The said tail portion of the bait figurehas a longitudinal opening or chamber. 33 therein which is open at thefront end thereof and widens toward such front end. The rear portion ofthe body is semi-cylindrical in form, as at 34. The front portion of thetail is provided with a'substantlally semi-circular recess 35 close tosuch semi-cylindrical-rear end portion 32' of the .bodyso that the sideedges at'the front corners of the tail portion overla the rounded'rearend of the body to hide. t e joint between the body and the tail of thefigure. t

. In Fig. 3 the body portion ofthe figure is cured thereto, as bysprings 37.

' rovided at its front portion on its upper and shown as provided at itsrear end, at its upper and lower edges, with metallic plates 36 se- Thetail is ower sides with metallic arms 38 which are recessed therein, asat 39, and have their rear portions secured thereto, as by screws 40.The front portions of said arms pass over the joint between the body andtail, overlap the plates 36 and are pivotally connected to such plates,as at 41, thereby effecting a pivotal connection between the tail andbody to enable the tail to move angularly with reference to the body tosimulate the motions of the tail of a fish when in the act of swimming.

A rocking arm 42 has its front portion bifurcated to form fork arms 43which receive the rear portion of the motor casing and are attached tothe upper and lower ends of a spindle 44, whereby such rocking arm ispiv- A link 46 is pivotally connected to such arm 45, as at 47, and isconnected also to a wrist member 48 which projects from the crank ,disk23. 1

It will be understood from the foregoing that when the spring motor isin operation rovided on opposite sides with hooks 49 whlch dependtherefrom.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. A bait of the class described comprising a body portion having itsrear end substantially semi-cylindrical in form, and a tail portionpivotally connected to the body portion andprovided at its front endwith a substantially semi-cylindrical recess receiving the rounded rearend of the body portion and providing side Walls overlapping the roundedrear end of the body portion and tending to hide the joint betweenthewbody portion and the tail portion. 4

2. A bait of the class described having an 'angularly movable member, aspring motor to actuate such angularly mova 1e member and provided witha gear, and means to frictionally engage such gear to stop or regulatethe speed of such motor.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLEY Witnesses:

F. D. MALLORY,

W. W. FITZPATRICK.

D. CALDWELL.

